Read The Captives of Kaag Online
Authors: Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund
The Captives of Kaag (8 page)
‘So we meet again, Lone Wolf.’
The words, full of hatred, are spoken by a tall, ancient figure, whose gaunt face is framed by a shock of platinum hair. It is Arch Druid Cadak, ruler of Mogaruith, the leader of the Cener Druids of Ruel.
‘What is your purpose here, Cadak?’ you growl in reply, your weapon raised in case he or his minions should attempt to rush you.
‘I am ruler of this city now. After all, is it not fitting that I should inherit the legacy of the Darklords?’ Cadak's whimsical mood seems to change for the worse, a change reflected in his voice.
‘Your meddlesome intrusions have cost me dear, Kai Lord,’ he hisses. ‘We have a debt to settle and I intend to make you pay what you owe. I brought you here. It was my purpose. I have no interest in the inferior magic of this fool you call friend,’ he says, sneering at Banedon, ‘yet I knew he would be bait enough to lure you.’
Slowly he steps towards the shadows and you tense yourself, fearing an imminent attack.
‘Now you will settle your debt … ’ he says, almost in a whisper, ‘once and for all!’
He snaps his fingers and you hear the creak of a heavy iron door slowly opening. Then a low, snorting noise echoes through the pen, stirring the caged Kraan and Zlanbeast to sudden frenzy. You steel yourself and cast your eyes around in a desperate attempt to see what it is that is responsible for this sudden uproar. Then the cause emerges into the light and your blood runs ice cold in your veins when you look upon its terrible face.
Beyond the west arch you discover a flight of stairs. Cautiously you ascend several levels of the citadel until the stairs emerge into a vast, frigid hall which is festooned with icy stalactites. In the dim distance you see the yellowy glow of a warmer chamber and you hurry towards it, taking care not to slip on the treacherous, frost-covered floor.
You are near the centre of this chamber when the temperature drops dramatically. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus, you lose 5
ENDURANCE
points due to the extreme cold.
To continue,
turn to 133
.
The dingy stone staircase leads down to an empty torchlit chamber, its floor strewn with filthy straw. To the right there is a stout wooden door secured by a rusty bolt, and ahead you see a damp passage. Your Magnakai senses tell you that it heads due south.
If you wish to take a closer look at the door,
turn to 242
.
If you wish to investigate the passage,
turn to 343
.
After a few minutes the tunnel ascends by steps to a cavern-like chamber where the walls are mildewed and damp. A sloping passage leads away to your left, descending towards a distant pit which reeks of vermin and decay. You shun this exit and turn your attentions instead to an iron door set into the far wall. Although it is locked, you experience no difficulty picking it.
On the other side of the door you discover a torchlit corridor leading off to the left and right.
If you wish to go right,
turn to 252
.
If you decide to go left,
turn to 170
.
Despite the fatigue of recent combat, you manage to erect a defensive wall around your mind which protects you from the Vordak's attack. At first their destructive energy is absorbed by this barrier; then it is transformed and cast back at them with twice its original intensity.
The Vordaks reel under the impact of your psychic retaliation. Before they can fully recover, you run at them and launch yourself into hand-to-hand combat.
3 Vordak (in psychic shock):
COMBAT SKILL
28
ENDURANCE
38
If you win this combat,
turn to 260
.
The tunnel ends at a huge, echoing hall. It was once a place of worship dedicated to Zagarna, Darklord of Kaag. Now, however, it lies in total ruin, having been ransacked and destroyed by those who took command following his destruction, by your hand, at the raising of the Siege of Holmgard.
In the alcoves and grottoes that adjoin this hall, where once stood effigies of Zagarna, there now stand likenesses of Darklord Slûtar. Behind one such tribute you notice something very unusual, yet familiar. A column of shimmering blue light descends into the alcove from a hole in the middle of the roof and passes through a similar hole in the floor. Your senses tingle as you gaze at this column, for you immediately recognize its purpose. Within the confines of the light, gravity is greatly reduced. It is used as a means of transportation, an elevator that can take you to other levels of Kaag, either above or below. The last time you saw one of these devices was in Helgedad, the former principal stronghold of the Darklands.
If you wish to step into the transporter beam,
turn to 127
.
If you choose to ignore it, you can leave this ruined hall by means of a tunnel in its north wall.
Turn to 254
.
Instinctively the Drakkar reacts to the sound of your harsh commands and moves away from the door, a reflexive action born of a lifetime of military service. But then his expression changes when his eyes take in the cut and colour of your tunic and Kai cloak. He hesitates, and then quickly snatches up his spear and holds it poised to thrust at your heart.
‘An okak oknar?’
he growls, demanding to know the name of your leader.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-alchemy,
turn to 339
.
If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 291
.
You remove the item from the satchel and the two guards scrutinize it. Then they nod their approval and draw back their spears. At once the crackling crimson energy ceases to arc between the shafts.
‘You may pass,’ they say, without any trace of emotion, and as they stand aside, so the two great doors glide silently open. Steeling yourself, you stride towards the blazing purple light which fills the chamber.
You unshoulder your Bow, draw an Arrow, and let it fly towards the chest of the leading Xaghash. The shaft shatters against the iron-hard scales which protect its heart, and the great merciless beast roars with delight at your misfortune.
Hurriedly you retreat, drawing a hand weapon in your defence as the two evil-eyed horrors come rushing forward with murderous intent.
2 Xaghash:
COMBAT SKILL
52
ENDURANCE
60
If you wield the Sommerswerd, its power doubles in strength for the duration of this combat (+16
COMBAT SKILL
).
If you win the combat,
turn to 276
.
Despite the treacherous condition of the tower wall, your natural skill and agility see you safely to the top. In less than a minute you manage to reach the level of the tower parapet.
You enter the passage and follow it for several minutes before arriving at an empty circular room. The only feature here is a rusty iron ladder, fixed precariously to the wall, which ascends through a hole in the ceiling to a level above. There is no other exit from this chamber and so, with caution guiding your every move, you climb the rust-eaten rungs.
You rise through the hole to find yourself in a corridor which is strewn with human bones. Skeletons lie mixed in tangled heaps and many of the skulls and loose bones seem to have been gnawed. The psychic residues of pain and terror left by these luckless victims press in upon your senses, making you feel queasy and claustrophobic. With pounding heart you advance along the bone-choked passage, stepping carefully through the skeletons to avoid making a sound. But you have taken less than a dozen steps when something unexpected makes you freeze in your tracks.
You turn and enter a rubble-strewn alley which takes you deeper into the black heart of Kaag. A mile later you reach a broader street, partially submerged by brackish, ankle-deep slime. Beyond it, at a deserted square, you see a tangle of rusty iron pipes spilling out from a circular shaft in the ground. Jets of steam hiss skywards from a thousand tiny cracks in these old corroded conduits. Nearby, in the ruins, a guttering fire casts an eerie yellow light over the area. Shadows play upon the surrounding walls, cast not only by the fire but also by the winged Kraan which swoop back and forth across this square, dousing themselves in the jets of scalding-hot steam.
You are watching the Kraan diving and twisting above the rooftops when suddenly your Magnakai sense of Divination alerts you to an imminent danger. You can sense the approach of a hostile creature, one which is using its psychic power to scan the surrounding area.
If you wish to avoid this creature by entering one of the ruined buildings that border the square,
turn to 349
.
If you decide to hurry away from the square,
turn to 4
.
You push down on the Zlanbeast's head and send it into a steep dive, a swift action which saves you from being knocked out of the sky by the cloud of deadly bolts. The streets of Kaag come rushing towards you with unnerving speed, but you control the winged creature skilfully, reining it in to level off in time to clear the ramparts of the South Gate. As you pass over this gate you catch sight of something strange yet wondrous to behold.
You push aside the last remaining Drakkar and rush out into the passageway. At the far end you find a door which leads to a covered courtyard. A group of Drakkarim stablehands are sent sprawling as you career through them and sprint towards a low wall which encircles this part of the complex. Without looking back, you leap over the wall in one bound and race into the ruins beyond.
For over a mile you wend your way through derelict buildings before you happen upon an avenue which is surprisingly clear of debris and obstructions. You are conscious that perhaps it is too clear, offering you no cover at all from the tall buildings that line this route to the centre of Kaag.
You decide to trust to the ruins rather than run the risk of being detected out in the open. However, within a matter of minutes you are confronted by a new hazard. The ground in this section of the city is unsafe. It is riddled with pot-holes and concealed cellars, covered by rotten wooden beams and slabs of paper-thin plaster. Suddenly one such section gives way beneath your feet and you find yourself falling headlong into coal-black darkness.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 0–5,
turn to 32
.
If it is 6 or more,
turn to 51
.
You hurry away from the dead Drakkarim and enter a tunnel which is dank and humid. You have taken less than a dozen paces when suddenly your senses alert you to a crude floor trap. A pit of poison-tipped stakes, concealed beneath a large square of oiled cloth, blocks the tunnel ahead. What would normally have ensnared a lesser warrior causes you little worry. With a single bound you clear the pit and continue on your way.
Soon the tunnel leads to another hall, but the entrance is blocked by a huge stone statue of Zagarna which has been tipped onto its side. The statue must have shattered on impact for the tunnel exit is almost filled with large boulders. In order to gain access to the hall beyond, you must first clear away some of this heavy debris.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. Now subtract 1 from the number you have picked. The resultant score equals the number of
ENDURANCE
points lost due to fatigue. (If you picked 0 or 1, your score is zero.)
You move back a few feet and raise your right hand, pointing your finger at the glowing sphere. Then you utter the words of power that you learned from the man whom you are seeking to set free, and at once your whole hand is encased by a crackling blue-white fire. A jolt runs the length of your arm and a bolt of energy leaps from your index finger towards the sphere.
If your current
ENDURANCE
points score is 14 or less,
turn to 320
.
If your score is 15 or more,
turn to 120
.
The leather Drakkarim battle-jacket and leggings fit easily over your close-fitting Kai tunic. The jacket has a large hood, with slits cut for your eyes and mouth, and you pull this down to cover your whole face. You stow your Backpack in a canvas satchel and sling this over your shoulder before opening the door and setting off towards the distant thoroughfare.
You stride boldly towards the two guards, hoping they will let you pass unhindered. But as you draw closer, they cross their jewel-encrusted spears to block your way. Raw power crackles like a sparkling crimson serpent where the shafts of the two spears touch, warning you that these are no ordinary weapons.
‘What is your business here?’ growls the guard on the left, his voice gritty and full of suspicion. ‘Why do you seek access to the Hall of Unholy Worship?’
If you possess the Disciplines of Kai-surge
and
Kai-alchemy,
turn to 314
.
If you do not possess
both
of these Grand Master skills,
turn to 26
.
An arrow gouges your heel and a sharp pain runs up the back of your leg, making you stumble. You struggle to stay on your feet but the weight of your unconscious friend throws you off-balance and together you crash down on the steps in a heap. The Drakkarim howl with delight and, as you pull yourself free, they fire a final volley of arrows.
There is a flash of light and a blinding pain fills your head, but this is soon replaced by a total blackness. You feel yourself falling forwards into an infinite void, as if you had just stepped over the edge of a towering cliff. Reluctantly you surrender to the sensation for it is the last you will ever feel.
Sadly, your life and your quest end here.
